Protesters, Public Opinion Polls Voice Opposition For Overturning Roe

Bloomberg: Abortion-Rights Protest Targets Homes Of Kavanaugh, Roberts
About 100 protesters took the battle over abortion rights to the homes of two conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices Saturday night, five days after a leaked draft opinion suggested the court is poised to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Bearing signs and chanting slogans, the group marched from Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house in Chevy Chase, Maryland, to Chief Justice John Roberts’ residence about a half mile away. The protesters then returned to Kavanaugh’s before police ordered them to disperse. It wasn’t clear whether either justice’s family was home. (Stohr, 5/8)

The Washington Post: Outside Kavanaugh’s Home, A Neighbor Rallies For Abortion Rights
Lacie Wooten-Holway walked through Chevy Chase on Wednesday night, pausing to stick fliers on her fence, a tree and utility boxes. She was advertising an abortion rights protest here, in her neighborhood, in front of the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh. A passing couple paused, reading her sign: “HONK 4 REPRO Rights and Bodily Autonomy.” “Good!” the woman said. “That I don’t agree with,” the man interjected. “I think you vote, and you expand the court. You don’t go to a guy’s house.” She had heard the argument before and responded: “I organize peaceful candlelit vigils in front of his house. … We’re about to get doomsday, so I’m not going to be civil to that man at all.” (Silverman, 5/7)

AP: Abortion Rights Protesters Rally In Cities Around US 
Abortion rights protesters rallied in cities around the United States on Saturday, vowing to fight to ensure that abortion remains a legal option for women nationwide. Hundreds gathered in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and other cities days after a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion was leaked to the public suggesting the court is poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide. The draft opinion, which comes amid nearly 50 years of federal abortion protections, could change before the ruling is finalized in coming weeks. (5/7)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Residents Protest Supreme Court’s Leaked Draft Decision To Overturn Roe V. Wade
Dozens of Bay Area residents gathered at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza on Saturday to defend abortion rights, the latest in a series of protests around the region and country following a leaked draft decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 law that legalized abortion nationwide. The roughly hourlong event, organized by the Socialist Alternative, drew a smaller crowd than those that marched the streets Tuesday, immediately following news of the leaked draft. Many attendees came on Saturday to show support for the cause because they weren’t able to attend rallies earlier in the week, or demonstrated on Tuesday and wanted to show their continued support. (Ho, 5/7)

A surge in support for Roe v. Wade —

NPR: After Roe V. Wade Leak, Abortion Rights Groups See A Surge In Donations
Abortion-rights groups across the country experienced a tidal wave of financial support this week after a leaked Supreme Court draft decision to tentatively overturn Roe v. Wade was made public. Elliott Kozuch, a senior communications strategist with NARAL Pro-Choice America, said donations to the group skyrocketed 1,400% the day after Politico first reported that the Supreme Court may overturn the landmark case, which would leave the fate of abortion rights in the hands of individual states. About half of the supporters were first-time donors, Kozuch told NPR. (Jones, 5/6)

The Hill: 58 Percent Of Americans Want Federal Law Making Abortion Legal: Poll 
The majority of Americans want a federal law making abortion legal, according to a new poll that follows the leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court potentially overturning Roe vs. Wade. The poll from CBS News and YouGov showed 58 percent of U.S. adults favored making abortion legal, while 42 percent opposed it. (Beals, 5/8)

Axios: Poll: Roe Supporters View Possible Overturn As A Danger To Women
Most people who support upholding Roe v. Wade view its possible overturn as a danger to women and think that development would put other rights in jeopardy, a CBS News poll out Sunday indicates. The poll comes after the leak Monday of a draft opinion that signaled the U.S. Supreme Court is prepared to overturn the landmark abortion case. If Roe were overturned, abortion would immediately become illegal in at least 13 states. (Shapero, 5/8)

More people are seeking abortion pills —

Politico: Telemedicine Abortion Providers See A Surge In Interest 
Online providers and groups are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of people requesting abortion pills or seeking information on consultations for the drugs since the draft opinion ending Roe v. Wade was first reported on Monday. ... People are increasingly seeking “advance provision” abortion pills — getting them now in case they need them later — because they fear that access could be rolled back if Roe is ultimately overturned. (Leonard, 5/8)

USA Today: Abortion By Pill: Private, Natural And Increasingly Popular In US
Abortion by pill is used in at least 54% of terminated pregnancies in the United States. The number has grown rapidly since the process became easier to access in 2016 and during the coronavirus pandemic and is anticipated to rise even higher if Roe v. Wade is overturned. The two pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, are taken about two days apart. In many areas only a telemedicine visit is required to get them from a pharmacy. The pills are cheaper and less invasive than a procedure abortion, and when used within the first 10 weeks of gestation they safely terminated 99.6% of pregnancies with very low complication rates. (Weise, 5/7)